Jazz Concert Review (#3)

I was very impressed with the performance by the Georgia Perimeter Jazz Ensemble I saw on
May third. It was different than the live jazz I go to see around Atlanta (Apache Caf, Churchill
Grounds, etc) because it was big band swing music from the thirties and forties. I brought two of
my friends, Michael and Adam, who dont go to Perimeter and they were as impressed as I was.
The band played several pieces by well-known jazz musicians and bandleaders, and had a
group of four singers called the South City Voices join with them for eight songs. The auditorium
at the Clarkston campus had wonderful acoustics, allowing me to adequately experience the full
sound of this wonderful ensemble.

The group opened with the song I Mean You by Thelonius Monk, whose innate sense of
humor came through in this lively piece with a high pitched, dominant brass sound. There were
improvisational solos by various instruments, including tenor sax, and piano, and the trumpet
solo softened to a loud surprise finish. I wished I could have heard the piano more, since Ive
played piano for seventeen years and always strain my ears to hear its delicate sound.

The next piece, The Cat Walk by Gerry Mulligan, sounded exactly like the title described- a
cat walking across a fence at midnight. The composer was a baritone sax player and it shows
through the songs deeper tones and steady bass. I felt like I was in a 1962 James Bond film. A
trumpet solo and a crazy winding soprano sax solo tied the piece together nicely.

The next four pieces were performed with South City Voices. They had impressive
musicality and intonation and I truly enjoyed hearing them. They opened with It Dont Mean a
Thing by Duke Ellington, which has always been one of my favorite songs to hear. The singers
scatted a bit and hit some chillingly high notes, as did the rest of the band. They followed with
Nature Boy, an old Nat King Cole classic that David Bowie recently covered in the Baz
Lurhmann film Moulin Rouge. This was the first slow and soulful piece played, being in a flowing
time and a minor key.

The next song with South City Voices was one I was overjoyed in hearing- Route 66 by
Bobby Troup. This song is especially meaningful to me because in my hometown of Tucumcari,
New Mexico, historic Route 66 runs right through the center of town and is dotted with

establishments like La Cita and the Teepee Curious that have stood since the 1940s, when the
highway was at its prime. I thought this version was faster and had more swing
than the Nat King Cole version. This piece included alto sax, trombone, and trumpet solos,
including an impressive one by Greg McLean with earth-shattering high notes.

The last song they sang was a lively number called Havana Medley. The first piece in the
medley was fast and light, followed by one with a darker sound and climbing trumpet clatter that
led up to the third section, which was lighter than the first two. The fourth one was my favorite
because it reminded me of something Ricky Ricardo would do on I Love Lucy.

There was a brief intermission, which gave my friends and me a chance to ogle all the
beautiful artwork lining the fine arts lobby. The band came back with Groovin High by the
trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie, which was a truly swinging song. I didnt see one still foot on
stage. Featured was an alto sax solo and another striking McLean trumpet solo.

The next song, In Memory of Bix, was a slow sad piece written by Steve Allen as a tribute
to Bix Biderbeck. The newest member of the Georgia Perimeter Jazz Ensemble, Joey Waters,
played a beautiful solo against the bands subdued sounds. This piece seemed like something a
guy would play on the rooftop after being dumped by his girlfriend. It was very film noir, I loved
it.

After the sobering trumpet solo, the South City Voices returned to liven things up again with
Sing, Sing, Sing by a drummer named Gene Krupa. I could tell the composer was a drummer
because the song opens with heavy pounding drums to give the piece a lively, massive sound.
The singers scatted quite a lot and seemed more comfortable with their surroundings than
before, like they were able to let loose a bit more. I also noticed the bassist counting his
measures of rest- 5-2-3-4, 6-2-3-4.- a familiar sight because in my orchestra days, cellos
were rarely given the melody and were always counting rests.

The next song, Georgia On My Mind by Hoagy Charmichael, opened with a snatch of
trumpet by McLean. The piece was slow, not like the Vince Giordano version Im accustomed to
hearing. It was pleasant to hear a slow song to break up all the excitement a bit.

For Aint Misbehavin, the band stepped back and let the South City Voices sing this
Broadway song a cappella. I was very impressed by their excellent intonation. Im no singer, but
I imagine it would be difficult to rely only on your own sense of pitch to keep things together.

The final piece of the evening was Caravan, which was arranged by Greg McLean. It was
a rich blend of jazz and Latin musical styles and it sounded like the deeper brass instruments
had their turn in the spotlight. It featured several improvisational solos, including a call and
response between McLean and the alto sax.

I was glad I was able to attend this concert for the Georgia Perimeter Jazz Ensemble. It
was a memorable experience that has made me want to hear big band music again!